Sam's Sister (re-written)
by TwIlIgHtLuVeR1994
Summary: I wrote this a couple of years ago and decided to re-write it and fix the story plot and errors. Sam has a little sister. She is dumped on his doorstep and he is stuck with a sixteen year old girl with a lot of baggage. This is also an Embry imprint story.
1. Chapter 1

(Claire's POV)

Tears stung my eyes and I angrily wiped them away. There was no way I was going to let Mark see me cry. I knew he had been waiting for me to cry and beg him to let me stay ever since he forced me in his car this morning. That's what he wanted. He loved seeing me beg him for things. Ever since my mother had passed two years ago he had taken joy from seeing me beg. Mark Tanner was a sick man. He started dating my mother when I was seven. I was never really around him on account of every time he came over my mom would send me over to a Ms. Gales apartment down the hall. Or she would come over so they could go on dates to parties and stuff. Two months after they started dating my mother had sat me down and told me I was going to have a baby brother or sister. I remember waking up late one night and on my way to the bathroom I came across my mother begging Mark to marry her and move in with us so the baby and I would have a father in our lives. She'd cried and said she couldn't bare doing it alone again. He gave in and a few weeks later he moved in and they went to a courthouse and got married. Everything was ok at first. I still was never really around Mark, but he seemed like an ok guy. Until my mom miscarried. After that it all went downhill. They fought most of the time and it always ended with Mark threatening to leave and my mom begging him to stay. He always stayed. His drinking got worse and then my mom started sporting bruises that she tried to cover when she left for work in the mornings. I remember watching her cake on the foundation and powder under her eyes and chin. She stopped eating, at least I never saw her eat a meal, and she starting getting thinner. She died when I was almost fourteen. That's when I started realizing the kind of man Mark was. The first time he hit me was right after we buried my mom. I was lying in bed crying and hungry because he had forgotten to get us dinner and we didn't have anything edible in the kitchen. He barged into my room, ripped my blanket off me and slapped me across the face so hard blood filled my mouth. He yelled at me to stay quiet and threatened if he heard me crying again he'd come back in do worse than just that slap. He pulled me out of school, telling people he was going to homeschool me but really he just didn't want people to be suspicious of the bruises and kept me home. I was able to avoid some of the beatings by doing what he asked. He loved it when I had to beg him for food and clothes. And when I needed female necessities he would laugh and make me work extra hard for the things I needed. For two years I'd pushed my feelings down and tried to convince myself it was going to be ok. I was counting down the days until I would be eighteen and be able to leave. That all crashed the night before.

 _(Flash back)_

 _I was cleaning my mess from dinner and Mark had a few of his buddies over. They were laughing and making crude jokes. They always made dirty jokes and they'd tease me. I knew there was something different this time when I went to give Mark his sixth beer and one of his buddies reached out and slapped me on the butt. I'd frozen and stared at the middle aged balding man that was Marks manager at the store he worked at. I'd only ever seen Mr. Engle a handful of times and each time he had given me a bad feeling. Much like then at that inappropriate moment. I swallowed and shook myself before handing Mark the beer bottle and hurrying back to the safety of the kitchen. Once along I took a shuttering breath and tried to calm my racing heart. Mark may have hurt me a lot but he had never actually done anything sexual to me. The laughter in the other room was dying down and I could tell it was getting serious. At least as serious as you could get when your drunk._

" _If you let me have her, I'll give you a better raise." Mr. Engle slurred. My breath hitched and I gripped the counter top so hard my knuckles turned white._

" _I don't know Engle." Mark sighed out. "How much are we talking about?"_

" _Maybe a dollar more an hour?" At that answer Mark scoffed._

" _I could put her on a street corner and make more off her in one night then you give me in a week." He laughed and there was a slap and a grunt._

" _Alright." Engle sounded thoughtful and tears were starting to spring into my eyes. "How about two bucks more an hour and I throw in all the free groceries you need. All the liquor you want." There was a long pause, only the sound of my heart beat and the inhale of cigarettes. Then there was a laugh and another slapping noise._

" _I don't think I can pass that offer up!" Mark barked out between laughs and my knees went weak. I scurried to my room and shut my door, pressing my back against it. There was no lock to the door. Mark didn't trust me to have a lock on my door. I soon heard footsteps coming down the hallway and Marks voice._

" _She's in this room right down here." He was coming closer. I frantically looked around my room for anything I could use as a weapon. The only thing I could find was a hard back dictionary on the floor by my bed amidst a bunch of paperback books I'd collected. I picked it up and held it in front of me in a pathetic attempt of a shield. The door opened and Mark ushered Mr. Engle inside._

" _Claire, Mr. Engle is gonna keep you company for a while." He smiled at me with a drunken sneer and a twinkle in his eye. I don't think I'd ever seen him that happy. "The door doesn't lock but we won't bother you." He winked and then he was gone, pulling the door shut behind him. Mr. Engle didn't waste any time. He reached for the front of his stained button down and ripped it open, buttons flying everywhere. At the same time, he lunged for me and had me against the wall. I opened my mouth to scream and he pressed his dirty palm against my mouth, pressing my lips against my teeth._

" _Shh sweetie, I promise I'll be gentle." He slurred and the foul smell of his breath made my eyes water and my stomach turn. He reached for the front of jeans and I bit down hard on his thumb. He howled and jerked back. I took the opportunity and tried to make a run for the door only to have a thick arm wrap around my middle and pull me back right where I was._

" _Don't run." He hissed and glared down at me with fire in his eyes. I suddenly remembered the book in my hand and I took a swing at him. With luck it hit him right in the crotch and he crumpled to the floor on his knees. I didn't have to think twice about bringing it back down hard on the back of his neck. He fell face on the floor with a grunt as I dropped the book and made a run for the door. I made it this time and yanked it open only to run right into the chest of my stepfather._

" _What have you done you bitch?" He hissed grabbing both my wrists so I couldn't fight him._

" _She tried to kill me Tanner." I looked over my shoulder to see Mr. Engle rising to his feet, red faced with anger and rubbing the back of his neck._

" _I'm sorry Engle, maybe if I- "_

" _No! keep her away from me." He pushed passed us, knocking me out of the way onto the floor. Then he turned and pointed a thick finger at the Mark. "And you can forget about coming into work. You're finished." With that he stormed down the hallway and out of sight. A second later the front door slammed shut. Mark glared down at me and grabbed me by the arm. He slapped me across the face and threw me into my room, slamming the door shut. After a while I heard the chatter in the living room start back up and I shakily drug myself up on my bed. I curled into a ball and wrapped a blanket around myself as my body shook and choked sobs escaped past the lump in my throat. I buried my face in my pillow to quiet them so that maybe Mark wouldn't hear them and come back in. He didn't bother me till a few hours later when he woke me up by throwing a duffel bag on top of me and told me to get up._

" _You're not living here anymore." He'd said. "Be in the car in five minutes or I'll drag you there myself." He left, slamming my door. I got up on shaky legs, not really knowing what was going to happen. I didn't want him to drag me to the car because I knew he would literally drag me. I grabbed the bag and reached under my mattress for the one treasure I hid from Mark that I knew he never knew about or ever would. It was a silver chain with a sapphire and diamond ring on it. My mother gave it to me when I was five and told me to always keep it safe. I used to wear until she'd told me to keep it hidden when Mark moved in. I stuffed it in the bottom of my sock before putting it on and putting on my beaten up converse. It was extremely uncomfortable but I was afraid it would fall out of my pocket or bag. I used the restroom and made it to the car with a minute to spare. Mark was already in the driver's seat of his beaten up Buick century. As soon as I shut my door and he stepped on the gas and the tires screeched as we sped into the streets. I clung the door handle and quickly buckled my seat belt._

" _Where are we going?" My voice sounded raw and weak._

" _You got me fired." Was his only answer. I clamped my mouth and didn't dare ask any other question._

 _(End of flashback)_

Mark hadn't said any other word to me. We'd driven for hours. It was now eleven o'clock at night and he'd only stopped three times for the bathroom and gas. He'd eaten a slim jim and a candy bar for lunch. I hadn't had anything and my stomach was hurting from hunger. I had no idea where we were. Hours ago we'd passed a sign welcoming us into Washington but that's the only thing I knew. Wherever we were it was dark and we were in a forest. Every now and then we'd pass through a small town and houses were here and there, but we hadn't been in any big cities for a while. Now the road was starting to get rougher and it was like we were driving on actual gravel then pavement. My heart leapt in my throat when the car came to a stop and we were in the middle of a wooded area. I could see a dim glow from a porch light out my window and my throat tightened. My first thought was this was it. I'd crossed the line and Mark was going to kill me and bury my body in the middle of nowhere. I jumped when Mark reached across me and opened my door.

"Get out." His voice was hoarse from lack of talking all day. I looked at him, not really knowing what to do. His eyes narrowed and I slowly slid out of the car into the freezing cold rain but kept my eyes on him. He reached into the back and grabbed my duffle bag so he could throw it at me. The force almost knocked me down.

"Shut the door." He hissed, still glaring at me like I was the scum of the earth.

"W-what?" I wished I sounded stronger.

"Shut the door!" He barked. I jumped and did as he said. As soon as it closed he stepped on the gas again and spun the car around, slinging muddy water all over me. I lifted my arm to shield my face and watched the tail lights of the Buick speed away. I watched in shock until the lights completely disappeared, swallowed by thickets of trees. A breeze blew and seemed to go hit me right in the bones. I shivered and hugged my bag to my chest. I was getting soaking wet by the rain. I turned to look at my surroundings and noticed a small rundown house where that light was coming from. I hurried to the porch for cover. Once out of the rain I was able to get my thoughts in order. Ok. I had no idea where I was. Mark had apparently abandoned me here. And now I was on the porch of someone's house late at night. That's all I knew. I stared at the front door and wondered if anyone was even home. Lightening flashed and from that light I saw a truck parked on the side of the house. Ok so maybe someone was home. Maybe they could help me. I nervously walked towards the door and opened the screen door with a loud creak that made me wince. I knocked twice and jerked my hand away to wait. Nothing. I looked at the window a few feet from the door and knocked again. No lights came on and still no noise from inside the house. Thunder rumbled in the distance and I shivered as another cold wind blew. Maybe no one even lived here. I went to the window to look inside. Total darkness met me. My teeth started chattering and my whole body started trembling from the cold. Maybe I could sneak in the window. I could at least get out of the cold. I tested the window and was relieved when it opened smoothly. I lifted my leg to climb in when a voice boomed from behind me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I whirled around slammed back against the hard wood door. Standing on the front steps of the house was the biggest man I'd ever seen in my life. His face was hard and his dark eyes were narrowed into slits.

I tried to explain but I couldn't get anything out. With shaking legs, I stepped forward and stumbled past him off the porch.

"I asked what the hell you think you're doing?" He growled again. Without thinking I started to run. I had no idea where I was going but I knew I needed to get away from here. I ran as fast as I possibly could down the gravel road.

"Hey!" The man yelled behind me and I heard loud slapping footsteps on the wet ground behind me and I screamed when I realized he was right behind me. A hand brushed my elbow and I jerked to the side, going off the road and heading into the forest. I stumbled in complete blindness and just then noticed that I had at some point dropped my bag. I cursed but couldn't care for that at the moment. I could hear the man cursing behind me and knew he was catching up again. All of a sudden the ground disappeared from under me and I fell on my bottom before I started rolling down a muddy steep hill. I came to a crashing stop in what I assumed was a small creek since I was now waist deep in dirty water and my head cracked against something hard. There was a blinding pain and I heard the man curse above me and then I was out.

(Sam's POV)

I didn't recognize the kid. She wasn't from rez that was for sure. At least I didn't recall seeing her hanging with the other kids around town. She may have been from Forks or somewhere. But she was stupid if kid thought she could sneak into my place and steal my stuff. And then thinking she could run from me? I stared at the unconscious child in the creek with my hands on my hips. I heard footsteps behind and knew without looking that it Paul in his wolf form. He's probably watched the whole thing.

"You could have helped." I glared back at him. Paul ducked his big head and let a few snorting noises. He was having himself a good laugh. I punched him before carefully sliding down the hill so I could get to the kid. She'd knocked herself out and she was soaking wet now. I sighed and put my arms under her knees and arms and lifted her up. She was light as could be and it wasn't because of my inhuman strength. The kid was tiny. By the time I got back up the hill Paul had shifted.

"Sorry," He was still laughing. "I just wanted to see if you could catch her." I glared and pushed past him heading back to my place. He followed and picked up her bag that she'd dropped before darting into the woods. It was easy to shift her to one side so I could open my door and turn the light on. My living room was simple. Just a couch and a chair and a TV that was hardly ever used. There was a coffee table with takeout boxes littering the top of it.

"Get me a couple of towels would you?" I asked as Paul followed me in, dropping her soaked duffel by the front door with a flop. He did as I asked and returned a second later with an armful. Without having to ask he laid a few on the couch so I could lay the kid down. I felt around her skull and decided she felt fine. It didn't seem like she fractured anything. Though she did have a pretty good scratch on her forehead. I used one of the other towels to wipe her face clean of the blood and muddy water.

"Anything fatal?" Paul asked from behind me.

"She's going to have one hell of a headache." I muttered. I dropped the dirty towel on the floor and sat on the coffee table.

"Ok I'm gone." Paul started heading for the door. "You think you can handle her till the cops or her parents show up?" I threw a glare at him and he laughed his way out the door. I looked back at the kid on my couch. She was soaked to the bone and I noticed her body beginning to tremble from the cold. I sighed and grabbed the oversized throw Emily had made me for Christmas and threw it over her. I stared at her muddy tattered shoes and contemplated removing them. If I didn't it served her right for trying to rob me. If I did, it prevented her from probably getting sick and dirtying up the arm of my sofa. I decided to remove them. It may also prevent her from running again. I tossed them at the front door and the landed outside with a wet slap on the front porch and worked to remove her socks. When I removed one something shiny fell from the folds and when I reached to see what it was a discovered a diamond ring on a chain. I scoffed.

"Who'd you steal this from?" I muttered under my breath.

"D-didn't steal it." I trembling weak voice spoke from above me and I jerked up. The kid was staring at me with half closed eyes. Her lips trembled and she snatched her hand out to grab the chain from my hand. I was faster though. Her eyes blazed and she sat up so fast I could see her eyes go cross. No doubt she was having some serious pain behind her eyes. She shook her head and grabbed for it again.

"Give it back!" She literally growled at me. I couldn't help but be a little amused.

"Who'd you steal this from?" I asked.

"I didn't steal it." Her voice trembled from anger. I got up and headed for the kitchen to grab my phone and call the Forks police station. I dialed the number and heard sniffling. I looked in the living room and saw the kid with her head hanging low and her shoulders were shaking. A pang of sympathy shot through me and I hung the phone up.

"Where'd did you come from kid?" I sighed and sat down on the coffee table again, staring down at the ring. It looked familiar. For some reason it reminded me of the ring my grandmother had owned. It was a simple silver band with a diamond surrounded by sapphires. When the kid didn't answer I looked at her to see her glaring at me through tears.

"Look I'm giving you a chance before I call the chief of police and have him come get you. I'm sure your parents wouldn't really like that would they?" At that she scoffed and I frowned at her.

"I don't have parents." She hissed as she scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

"What's your name?" The kid wasn't giving me anything. I pulled my phone and went to dial again. At least Charlie may be able to get some names out of her so they could return her to her parents or grandparents or whoever.

"Claire Maddox." It took her a while but when she spoke she sounded a little defeated. _Maddox._ I knew that name. Only I hadn't heard it in so long. And most of the time it had only been muttered with moist eyes and a tight throat of my father.

"Are you related to a Maggie Maddox?" I knew it was a long shot but I was curious if she knew the woman that sent my dad into a drinking depression that slowly but surely killed him. Her jaw hardened and she slowly nodded.

"Yes. She was my mother." When she said that my stomach dropped. _Mother._ I suddenly had a flash back to being eight years old and my dad telling me I was going to be a big brother. Maggie had become like a mother to me in the two years my dad had been dating her. I remember them coming home from a doctor visit and telling me I would have a sister. The excitement in the house was overflowing. And then it stopped. One morning I woke up and my dad was crying at the kitchen table. Maggie had left. In the middle of the night she had freaked out and left, leaving us and taking my baby sister with her. As I stared at the kid across from me everything in me wanted to deny it but deep inside I knew I was more than likely staring at my sister. I lived in a world where I was alpha of a wolf pack and sworn enemies of a clan of vampires living a few miles away and yet _this_ was the shock of my life.


	2. Chapter 2

**(Claire's POV)**

The guy was staring at me strange. And he had been for a few minutes. He kept opening and closing his mouth and I wished I would stop crying! I'd been sniffling the tears back for a while and I hated being weak. I needed to get out of here and quick. I cleared my throat and swiped at my eyes one last time.  
"I didn't steal anything I was trying to get out of the rain." My voice sounded slightly stronger. I swung my feet off the warm comfy couch and realized my shoes were gone.  
"If you could please tell me where my shoes are I'll get out of your way." My head was killing me and when I stood up it just sent blinding pain through my skull. I wobbled and a pair of hands grabbed my shoulders to steady me. I shrugged them off and moved away from him. I saw my duffel by the front door and unzipped it to see if my pair of beaten up sneakers were in there since for some reason my converse were nowhere in sight. Luckily they were. I sat on the floor and quickly threw them on, completely aware that the man was watching me the whole time. It was really starting to get on my nerves. Once I stood up I threw my bag over my shoulder and finally looked at him. My eyes met his and my stomach flipped with fear. I looked away with a burning face and decided to stare at his bare feet instead. The guy didn't look annoyed or angry anymore. He looked in awe really. Like he was watching a puppy standing on its back legs and doing backflips.  
"Sorry for intruding." I mumbled as I turned to walk out the door. Though I really didn't know where I was going. I was homeless. I didn't even have an ID for a bus ticket. Hell I didn't even have money for that. I pushed the quickly budding panic away with a shake of my head as I started down the front steps. I would figure that out later. My foot barely reached the bottom step when a hand grabbed my shoulder.  
"Wait." His voice sounded strained and I wrenched my shoulder away from his grip. When I turned around he let go and thrust his hand out with my necklace dangling between his fingers. My stomach dropped and I snatched it from his hand. I stuffed it in my pocket and turned away stepping out in the now pouring rain. This time the hand grabbed my elbow and dragged me back up the steps.  
"What the hell is your problem!" My anger and frustration at my whole situation came out in one deafening screech and tears started streaming down my cheeks. The guy let go of me and his hand went to the back of his head, running through his short hair and sighing deeply.  
"Look..." He started, finally looking at me after a long awkward pause. "It's late, it's cold, and if I let you wander the streets I will feel bad. Stay here tonight." I stared at him. The guy wanted me to stay the night. One side of me was terrified. Visions of the night before with Mr. Engle flashed through my head and my hands started to shake. I looked away from him and stared at the rain coming down in sheets. Either possibly die of pneumonia or stay in a warm house till morning. At least if I stayed I'd be warm and dry and could think of a plan. I didn't have to sleep I could stay awake and protect myself. I went over this for what seemed like a long time before I finally slowly nodded my head at him. His shoulders slumped and he let out a deep sigh like he was relieved. He backed away and went back in the house and motioned for me to follow him. My stomach was in knots as I followed him back in with dragging feet. He waited until I was in the middle of the room before shutting the door. There was a long pause of awkward silence that he spent rubbing a hand through his hair making it stand on end and I stood clutching the strap of my bag with both hands so hard my knuckles went white. He cleared his throat and rubbed his hands against his cut off shorts before speaking.  
"I guess I'll show you where you can sleep." He said it more like a question. I nodded my ok and he walked passed me to a short hallway with four doors. He went to one and pushed it open, turning a light on to reveal a small bedroom with a twin sized bed that looked like someone had been sleeping in recently judging by the blankets half on half off the bed and a pair of clothes strewn across the floor.  
"There are spare blankets in that closet," He motioned to said closet, "and the bathroom is right across the hall. Your welcome to shower and warm up if you want. There's towels and soap under the sink." He backed out and went to one of the other doors. I assumed he was done and gone for the night so I stepped inside the room and took a slow turn looking around. It was small but cozy. The walls were a simple white and the floor was hardwood. There was a stack of boxes on one side of the room labeled old clothes and junk. I let my bag fall to the floor and it landed with a wet slap and I winced.  
"Here." I jumped and spun around to see that the guy was back. He was holding out a stack of clothes.  
"Your bag is soaking wet. I assume your clothes are too." He explained when I didn't take the offering but instead looked from him to the clothes. After a moment I took the clothes with a nod of thanks and his arms dropped to his sides, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his jeans.  
"I'll let you rest. Like I said, your welcome to use the shower." He said after a minute of awkward silence. Again he didn't leave just stood there. I cleared my throat and shifted from one foot to the other.  
"I'm in the room right next to the bathroom. If you need anything." He said as he turned to leave.  
"Wait!" I surprised him and myself by speaking. I swallowed hard before continuing.

"Thanks... For letting me stay... And for the clothes." His face relaxed into an easy kind smile that was actually a little comforting and not scary. There was no promise of a beating or funny business behind it that I could see.  
"Your welcome." He nodded and went to leave again.  
"I-I..." He stopped and turned again when I stuttered, tilting his head, still smiling lightly. My face heated and I looked down.  
"You never told me your name." I muttered.  
"Sam Uley." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. I tried to smile back at him but it ended a little shaky. He nodded once and then he ducked into a room and shut the door lightly behind him. After he left I wasn't sure what to do. I shut the door and unrolled the clothes. There was a shirt, a pair of sweat pants, and a dry pair of socks. All were a few sizes too big but they were dry and I couldn't wait to change into them. The thought of a warm shower was too tempting so I tiptoed across the hall and locked the door to the bathroom behind me. I found a spare towel and soap like Sam had told me and laid them out before stripping out of my wet clothes. I turned the water on and stepped in. I resisted a moan of relief as the hot water hit my freezing skin. Within moments I felt ten times better. As much as I wanted to stay forever in the shower I knew I couldn't run the man's water bill up so I scrubbed up and rinsed quickly. I dried off and wiped the mirror dry and winced when I saw my reflection. I hadn't taken the time to examine myself in a mirror in a few days for a reason. There were fresh bruises on my wrists I'd been aware of but now I could see a bruise on my lower back and dots like finger prints on my neck I hadn't noticed. All curtesy of Engle. I shivered and quickly dressed. The shirt fell down past my knees and the pants I had to roll several times so I wouldn't trip. But they were so warm and comfortable. I grabbed my towel and wet clothes and padded back to the bedroom and locked the door behind me. I dropped my wet clothes on top of my bag and flicked the light off. I made my way blindly to the bed and when I felt the fluffy comforter on the floor I picked it up and wrapped it around myself before falling to the bed. It felt like what I imagined a cloud to feel like. It was fluffy and soft and my aching body molded to the comfort of the mattress. I buried my head in the pillow and inhaled. My mind began to whirl around the events of the past twenty-four hours. I was kicked out of the 'home' I'd lived in for years. Yeah it wasn't comfortable and I hadn't been treated good, but it was familiar and I knew what triggers to avoid getting hurt most of the time. Here… I had no idea. What if this guy ended up being a pimp? What if I'd wake up the next morning and he wouldn't let me leave? I shivered and curled up even tighter. I should have just continued in the rain. I shouldn't have stayed the night. I made a plan to leave first thing in the morning. My mind began to fog up as I was trying to think of where to go and what to do. I didn't get far as I fell into a deep sleep.

….

When I woke up it took me few moments to realize where I was. When I did I groaned and covered my face with my forearm. I needed to get up and get dressed and leave. But the bed was warm and comfortable and I couldn't move. I was so cold and sweating at the same time. I brought a shaking hand to my forehead I knew I had to be running a fever. I couldn't let that stop me from leaving though. I didn't know what time it was but there was dim light streaming through the window. There were no curtains covering them so I was able to stare out at a steady dripping rain and the vibrant green of the forest right outside. I made myself sit up and immediately regretted it as my head swam and my body screamed. I tried to shake it all off and got up. I wobbled and ended up back on the bed shivering violently. I cursed and gritted my teeth going for it again. I made it to my feet and stumbled towards the door. When I opened the door the sound of hushed voices floated from the living room. One I could tell was Sam's, the other had to be a woman. I made it to the bathroom and relieved myself before bracing myself against the sink and splashing cool water across my hot face. Back in my room I went to dig in my bag for my own clothes but found my bag to be nowhere in sight. Someone had taken my only belongings. I gritted my teeth with anger and stumbled down the hallway looking for that rat bastard Sam. I stopped in the doorway of the living room to see a woman sitting on the couch and Sam sitting on the coffee table facing her with one hand resting on her cheek and the other clutching one of her hands. I felt like I'd just interrupted something and went to back up but ended up making myself dizzy and I fell against the wall. That got their attention and the woman's head snapped in my direction and I was met with a surprised face. Sam whipped around and when he saw me he smiled for a split second before it disappeared and he cursed standing up.

"Jeez are you ok kid?" He asked walking towards me. When I flinched away he froze.

"W-where are m-my c-clothes." My teeth chattered together and I wrapped my arms around myself. The woman came to stand next to Sam.

"I threw them in the wash for you." She answered softly.

"Oh." Was all I managed to say. Well now what? I couldn't leave in what I was wearing and without the rest of my clothes. Without a warning the woman stepped forward and placed both hands on my cheeks. I flinched and she made a tsk noise and shook her head, meeting my gaze with pursed lips.

"Your burning up, you need to go lay back down." There was a sternness to her tone and I stared at her. She was beautiful woman with dark brown eyes and long dark hair. There was a scar that ran down her cheek and made her lip curl a little but it didn't alter her beauty. Her hands left my face and clasped my elbows pulling me away from the wall.

"I-I n-need to…"

"You _need_ to lay down before you fall down." There was a finality to her tone that left me speechless as she wrapped an arm around my waist with surprising strength and took me back to the room I'd slept in. After I crawled back in bed she pulled a blanket over me and tucked it around me before hurrying out of the room. I watched her go and Sam leaned against the door with a slight smile.

"That's Emily." He said with a chuckle.

"I need to be on my way." I spoke weakly. Emily reappeared with a glass of water, a bottle of pills, and a thermometer.

"You're not going anywhere yet." She slipped the thermometer between my lips and when I went to speak she gave me a look that made me clamp them closed. After a couple of awkward moments of silence as she read the pill bottle and shook two into her palm she pulled it out and _tsked_ at me again.

"102.5." She put the thermometer on the bedside table and picked up the glass of water. "You're not going anywhere until your fevers gone. Here take these. They should help the fever go down." I took the pills she offered me and then took the glass. After swallowing I let my head drop down to the pillow and watched her fuss. Who _was_ this woman and why was she taking care of me? I watched her fuss around for a moment giving me strict orders and she reminded me of my mother. Tears pricked my eyes and I sniffed them back.

"Are you hungry?" Emily asked after placing the glass on the bedside table.  
"A little." I mumbled. She jumped up and left the room again calling Sam behind her. He followed her and I was left alone to my thoughts. This woman reminded me so much of my mother. Before she and Mark got together. Tears burned my eyes and I shook my head, trying to keep them at bay. I laid back against the pillows and crossed my arms over my stomach staring out at the rain splattering against the window. The smell of food wafted into my room a few minutes later and my stomach rumbled. I couldn't really remember the last time I ate. It had to have been sometime before the incident with Engle. That probably explained why I felt so weak. And the fever was probably because of my fall in the cold creek and staying in the wet clothes for so long. I shivered again and wrapped the blanket tighter around myself. Where ever I ended up I needed to take better care of myself. I couldn't afford to get sick like this. My mind started wandering. I had no money. There was nowhere I could go without money. And the only thing I had that was worth anything was my mother's ring. My stomach knotted up. If I was going to survive there was no other way but to try and sell the ring. It had to be worth enough money to cover a shady motel room until I could find a job somewhere.  
"Here we go!" I was jerked out of my thoughts as Emily and Sam entered the room with a tray of food. My stomach grumbled again and the corner of Sam's mouth lifted in a small smile. He set the tray on the bedside table.  
"Do you think you can sit up long enough to eat a little?" Emily asked worriedly. I nodded and started to sit up. Emily grabbed my wrist and helped me up. I glanced at the food and my mouth watered. There was a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese. They'd also brought me a glass of orange juice, which I went for first. I was completely aware of the two of them watching me as I picked up the sandwich and bit off the corner. Normally I hated people watching me eat, but I was so hungry at the moment I didn't care. I ate the whole sandwich and half the bowl of soup before my weak stomach demanded I stop.  
"So where are you heading?" Emily asked as she moved my tray away and helped me lay back down. Panic seized my body. How did I answer that? I don't really know, see my abusive father kicked me out of my apartment and left me with no money or any idea of where to go? I couldn't tell them that. Since I was sixteen there would be a good chance I'd be put in a home or something until I was eighteen. I scrambled for a lie as I let my head fall to the pillows.  
"Seattle." I spat out quickly.  
"Oh? What are you going there for?" Emily sat on the edge of the bed facing me. I noticed Sam watching me with a strange look. I swallowed hard.

"I-I'm meeting my mother there." I had no idea where these lies were coming from but I hoped I sounded convincing. Sam pushed off from the wall and crossed his arms over his broad chest. He was looking at me with one brow cocked and his lips in a hard line. I swallowed hard again. Something about his face made me think he saw right through my lie.

"I used to live with my father." At least that was somewhat true. "But my mom decided she wanted me to come live with her. I guess I got the wrong address and the cab driver dropped me off here and I left my phone in the car." That was a terrible lie! I winced at the ridiculousness of it and prayed they bought it. It was quiet for a while and then Emily blinked and smiled.

"Well we will help you get back on track and find her." She said patting my hand and standing. "We'll leave you to rest and feel better. If you need anything Sam will be here, I need to leave for work." She grabbed Sam's arm and led him out of the room. Not ten seconds later I heard a crash and my heart leapt into my throat. I jumped out of bed, immediately thinking of Emily. When I opened the door I froze as a conversation reached my ears.

"She's lying!" There was no mistaking the anger in Sam's voice. My stomach twisted.

"I know." Emily sighed. "But let's just wait until she feels better and we can try and get the truth out of her ok?"

"Fine." Sam growled and I shut the door, locking it behind me again. I crawled back in bed with my heart pounding. I needed to get out of here. I didn't want to end up in a foster home or something. I didn't want to risk getting in a worse situation than I just came out of. As soon as I got a chance I was out.

…

I jumped out of a deep sleep when there was a knock on my door. I crawled out of the bed and went to answer it. I met Sam's gaze on the other side.

"I was just coming to let you know I have to leave for a little bit." He still looked grim.

"Ok." I muttered awkwardly.

"There's food and stuff in the kitchen if you need anything. Make yourself at home." He rubbed at the back of his head awkwardly.

"Ok." I said again. He turned to leave then froze, bending down to pick up a laundry basket.

"I almost forgot, Emily washed and dried your clothes and your bag this morning." He held out the basket and I took it with a sigh of relief for getting my own clothes back. After that her turned and left. I waited a few seconds before I heard the front door shut. This was perfect. I had my clothes back. I could pack and leave while he was gone. I dumped the clothes on the bed and shook out my washed bag and started stuffing my clean clothes inside. In the bottom of the basket I found my old converse, washed and dried. They still looked beaten up but much less dirty. My heart seized with guilt as I packed to leave without even thanking Emily for her kindness. And Sam for letting me stay the night and not laying a hand on me. I shook my head and stripped out of the clothes I'd borrowed from Sam and dressed in my own things. After I put my shoes on and grabbed my bag and, after a longing look at the comfy clean bed, left the room. I paused at the door before going to the kitchen. I grabbed a pack of crackers I found in the cabinet as well as a jar of peanut butter. In the cabinet under the sink I found a pack of water bottles and grabbed two. There was no telling how far I needed to walk before I got to a pawn shop far enough away from here. My throat tightened at that thought and I shook it away. No need to think of that right now. I glanced at the clock on the stove. It was almost five in the evening. I was shocked by how long I'd slept. Hopefully I could find someone not crazy to hitchhike somewhere farther down the road. I stuffed the food in my bag and headed back to the door. When I got to the front porch I took a second to lean against the door. I was still sick. I could tell from the sweat I'd broken from just packing. I wiped it away and tried to catch my breath. My forehead was hot to the touch with fever. I would be alright. This was nothing, I just needed to get to safety. And I had a weird feeling about this place. And weird feelings always meant I wasn't safe. I threw my bag over my shoulder and pulled my hood up. It wasn't raining at the moment so I hoped it stayed that way. Not even out of sight of Sam's house and it started drizzling. I slumped my shoulders and trudged down the road. I passed little shack houses with dogs barking in the yards chained up. There were trees growing up around them though so I wasn't really worried about people looking out and seeing me and getting curious about a younger girl walking down the road. After a mile of the gravel road I hit actual pavement with a sign that said Forks was up ahead. Whatever town that was maybe I could find a ride there. By the time I saw an actual street light up ahead it was pitch black and it had begun raining a little harder. I was soaking wet again and I was feeling even worse. A pair of headlights turned a corner ahead of me and started heading in my direction. I stiffened and prayed they didn't notice me. I was almost in the clear when it passed me and I sighed in relief. Until I heard tires screech to a stop behind me and a car door opening.

"Excuse me, miss?" There was a gruff voice behind me. I turned and cursed myself when I saw a freaking police officer stepping out of his car with a flashlight and heading my way. "Do you need some help?" I swallowed and shook my head.

"N-no. I-I'm just heading home." My teeth chattered so bad I wondered if he could even understand me. He pointed the flashlight at me and I winced. At that moment my body decided to fail on me. The next thing I knew I was sitting on the cold wet pavement. I hadn't stopped since I left and I was feeling exhausted and even sicker. I was sure my fever was higher now.

"Kid!" I heard the officer running at me and I cursed as I lifted a shaking hand to push my wet hair back.

"I'm ok." I was able to get out before he touched me. "I've just been sick and I'm exhausted." He listened to me and when I looked up he had a hand on his hip and a radio close to his mouth. I heard him say something about the hospital. I grabbed his pant leg and he looked down at me.

"I don't want to go to a hospital." I think that's the strongest my voice had been in a long time. The officer spoke into the radio softly before clipping it to his hip and reaching a hand out to help me up. I ignored it to prove to him I was ok and forced myself to my feet. I wobbled a little but stayed up. I felt like the world was spinning and my stomach churned with the panic racing through my body. I had to get it together though.

"At least let me get you out of the rain." He reached for my arm and when I automatically jerked away he froze with his hand outstretched. It was silent except for the pitter patter of the rain hitting the trees and the road. I held my breath wondering if I was fixing to be arrested for being a nuisance. The cops hand dropped to his side and he backed up a little bit.

"I'm not going to hurt you kid." When he spoke again his gruff tone was softer, like he was speaking to skittish animal. Which I realized I was probably looking that way. "I just want to get you out of the cold rain. May I get you to the station and you can dry off and even get warm with a cup of disgusting but hot coffee?" I tossed this idea over and over in my head for a long time. Going back in forth between wanting to warm up and wanting to keep moving. When I swayed, my body threatening to topple over again, I nodded and decided it was best to take a rest. He walked backwards cautiously to his car and opened the back seat, motioning me in. I dragged my feet all the way there. Once I seated myself he shut the door lightly and hopped into the front seat. He didn't say anything as he did a turn and headed back the way he'd come. It was only a five-minute drive, but it felt like eternity. I shivered in the back seat and wrestled with my thoughts. Everything inside me screamed at me to run. When we pulled up in front of the smallest police station I'd ever seen with only two other squad cars parked in front I was filled with relief. At least he was telling me the truth and he brought me here. I had to wait for him to open my door and when he did he stayed at a distance from me, which I was relieved about. I followed him to the doors and he led me into the small station. When we stepped inside I noticed a few things. One, the place reminded me of the sheriff's office in Mayberry from _The Andy Griffith Show._ Two, there were three other people in the place. A guy and a girl stood side by side with their backs to the door talking to another man. Three, they were talking to none other than Sam Uley. I froze in place and a gasp escaped. I wondered if I could back out the door before he noticed me. Sam heard the gasp and looked between the guy and girl and met gaze. His eyes went wide in shock and my heart beat frantically in my chest.

"Shit." I let the air I'd been holding in my lungs out with that one word. This was just my freaking luck.

 **(A/N Ok so I hope you're enjoying reading this so far! Please review and let me know what you think!** **)**


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